The Coventry City Former Player's Association’s special guest for the Sky Blues home game with Stevenage FC on 9th September 2012 will be Ian Goodwin.
This will not only be a rare Sunday home appearance for the Sky Blues (being moved from the previous day because the match is being covered by Sky) but also the first League meeting ever between the two clubs. Also appearing next Sunday will be Ricoh favourite and ‘Cov.Kid’ Marcus Hall who will be taking a stint as media guru for BBC CWR (and likely to be broadcast more widely around the country as a featured game). CCFPA Committee member Dave Bennett also continues with his own punditry for Freeradio (Coventry)
A Mancunian, Ian is long-standing and active Association member, an entertaining colleague and a regular in the Legends Lounge and we are delighted he has agreed to be do this ‘Ricoh’ stint touring the corporate areas during the game, being introduced to the Ricoh half time crowd and being grilled in a friendly fashion by CCFPA’s Billy Bell on the stage of Lady Gs in the G-Casino after the game.
Ian was an apprentice at Oldham Athletic and was signed on by the Sky Blues in December 1968 after driving his younger brother Steve down for a trial and impressing Noel Cantwell after filling in a gap for a no-show triallist . Ian got his nickname ‘Reggie’, he tells us, after the new boy jokingly announced to his youth team compatriots that his name was ‘Reginald Bosanquet’ (one of the first newscasters on ITV). The nickname stuck! Turning professional the following March Ian was mostly a reserve team defender and had to wait until early in the 1970-71 season to make his debut as a 19 year old right half against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. His three further first team games followed directly afterwards before City bought Wilf Smith and subsequently the late lamented Ernie Machin took on the No.4 shirt.
Ian was transferred to Brighton and Hove Albion in March 1971 after a succesful loan spell with the Seagulls from October 1970 and made 60 first team appearances (no goals) for the seasiders eventually captaining the Club before moving to non league football with Nuneaton Borough in 1974.
Marcus, an England Under 21 International started with the Club as an apprentice and clocked up over 300 appearances for the club in his two sessions (1992-2002; 2005-10) with the Sky Blues with a lone first team appearance for Forest and 85 for Stoke City sandwiched between his stints with City. Since leaving CCFC for a second time Marcus has assisted Northampton Town and often turns out in various charity games representing our former players.
We welcome them both once more to the Ricoh.